


Red Carpet

by vix_spes



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Established Relationship, M/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-10-16
Updated: 2012-10-16
Packaged: 2018-05-01 01:11:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,654
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5186546
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/vix_spes/pseuds/vix_spes
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When the time comes to attend his first premiere as a leading man, there's only one person that Arthur Pendragon wants standing next to him.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Red Carpet

**Author's Note:**

  * For [katie_andrew](https://archiveofourown.org/users/katie_andrew/gifts).



“I'm sorry, I don't think that I heard you properly. Would you mind telling me again?” Arthur tried to keep his voice as polite as he could but he couldn't prevent a hint of anger from creeping in towards the end.

“We were thinking that it would be a good idea for you to take Vivian Olafson to the premiere as your date. It would boost both of your profiles and it's never a bad thing to have a beautiful woman on your arm.” The agency representative had what she presumably thought was a winning smile plastered on her face but even that was starting to fail in the face of Arthur's disapproval.

“Are you telling me that I have to take Vivian to the premiere or do I actually have a choice in my date for the evening?” Arthur was desperately trying to keep his cool because he did actually want to keep these people as his agents considering that they had gotten him this far and seeing as they also represented his father but if they were going to try and make him into some puppet then he would walk. Then he would get his father involved.

“Oh! Of-of course you have a choice in who you take but we just thought that...”

“In which case, I already have a date sorted. Was there anything else that you wanted?”

It was with huge relief that Arthur walked out of the agency, the tension of the meeting already making its presence known in his neck and shoulders. He would have to talk nicely to Merlin and see if he would give him a massage tonight but for the time being he had a lunch date with his father that he had to make.

His father had desperately wanted Arthur to pursue any career other than acting considering his mothers death but with his upbringing there was nothing else that he wanted to do. Arthur Pendragon was the scion of two great acting dynasties and both of his parents, Uther Pendragon and Ygraine de Bois had been well-known actors. Uther specialised in character roles and stage works, having a distinguished career with the Royal Shakespeare Company while Ygraine was the darling of Hollywood until she was killed in a stunt that went wrong in her first role back following Arthur's birth. As a result, Arthur had spent the majority of his childhood on sets when he wasn't at boarding school and as such, as far as he was concerned, there was never going to be any other career for him. He had worked hard and refused any favours from his father or his industry godparents, determined that if he was going to be a success at his chosen career then he was going to be a success on his own merit. His early hard work had been rewarded by a place at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts and from there his career had gone from strength to strength.

He had done the obligatory bit parts in Casualty and Doctor Who plus a couple of plays at the National Theatre and several of the smaller London theatres. Then came a dream part playing Henry Hotspur opposite his father as Richard II in the play of the same name at the RSC in Stratford. Some of his earliest memories were of listening to his father reciting Shakespearean monologues so to be on stage with him was an absolute dream come true. As a result of Richard II, Arthur was offered the role of Prince Hal at the Globe Theatre in London for their summer season and that was even better. He loved every minute of it. Loved the intimacy of the theatre, the way that he could see the faces of the people sat in the stands, the way that the stage was set up so that they could move through the audience and the way that the groundlings pressed up right against the stage. On one night, he nearly stood on somebody's fingers during a sword fight when they didn't move their hand off the stage quickly enough. It was that season that got him to where he was now, preparing for the London premiere of the film version of Henry IV as Prince Hal with the possibility of playing Henry V if this film was well-received. It was a good bet considering that talk of award nominations was already being bandied about following a premiere in Cannes.

The lunch with his father went a long way towards calming his irritation despite the fact that at one point it would have exacerbated it beyond measure. As Arthur had become older, his often volatile relationship with Uther had mellowed and was now much more what Arthur had always wanted. Uther had listened to Arthur's complaints and had told Arthur to go ahead with what he wanted to do and that if his agency representative tried to cause problems, then they would simply find somebody else, something that wouldn't be difficult considering Uther's contacts in the industry. It was what Uther said at the end that really stuck with Arthur. 'He's stuck by you all of this time and I can't see him leaving. You owe it to the both of you to take him with you. It's never been the same without your mother by my side and, for your first premiere, you need to start as you mean to go on with him at your side. Now, I think you should go and share your news. You'll also need tuxedos for the both of you; Kilgharrah's is the best place, the old tailor is completely barmy but a wonder with a needle and thread. God only knows, that boyfriend of yours is going to need all the help he can get.'

Arthur hadn't been able to suppress a laugh at that comment. Uther was definitely right about that one. As much as Arthur loved Merlin, his dress sense was absolutely hopeless; he lived in jeans, hoodies and often a beanie hat. Then again, Merlin could get away with it with his job. Arthur had met Merlin Emrys years ago as students when Arthur had been walking out of Starbucks and had walked into Merlin, throwing coffee all over him. Arthur had been struck by the strangely ethereal attraction that the other man had and had asked him out for coffee in order to apologise as well as paying for Merlin's dry-cleaning. They had never looked back. Eight years down the line, they lived together in a little house in Greenwich and Merlin taught the reception class in a local primary school and had started to join Arthur on location during the holidays. Merlin had stood by him from the very beginning and there had been more than a few times where Merlin had been the major bread-winner in their household but this film could change all of that and there was no-one that Arthur wanted at his side more.

(~*~)

Standing on the red carpet just over two weeks later with a smiling Merlin stood at his side and flashes from the paparazzi cameras going off all around them, Arthur couldn't have been happier. Looking further down the red-carpet, he could see Vivian Olafson hanging off the arm of the actor who had played Hotspur and couldn't help but feel sorry for him. His eyes slid sideways to Merlin and, once again, he marvelled at what a difference a well-tailored suit made. The one that Kilgharrah had crafted for Merlin literally clung to every inch of him and made him look simply lean rather than ridiculously skinny. The dark colour of the suit made Merlin's amazing blue eyes stand out even more and, if he was being completely honest, Merlin's arse should be illegal looking the way that it did in those suit trousers. It was a bloody miracle that they had made it out of their house without Merlin being debauched and the trousers left in ruins on their bedroom floor.

All around them, he could hear teenage girls screaming his name, and wasn't that surreal, as well as the cries of the journalists trying to discover who Merlin was. They had never tried to hide their relationship but having heard the stories from his father of how his parents life had often been lived in the spotlight and not out of their own choice, he had desperately tried to keep his life with Merlin private in an attempt to keep something to himself. He had known that that wasn't going to last though and even though they were undoubtedly going to lose their privacy, it was worth it to have Merlin stood with him. He heard a cacophony erupt behind him and looked over his shoulder to discover that his father had arrived. His father gave him a look that Arthur immediately interpreted and smiled to himself. Whatever happened, his friends and his family would support him and he would always have Merlin, or so he hoped. Not needing to psych himself up, he simply let his left hand reach out and entwine with Merlin's right hand. The buzz of noise and the flash of cameras immediately intensified and Arthur knew that they were going to go absolutely crazy over his next action. He squeezed Merlin's hand a little tighter and used it to pull his boyfriend just that little bit closer. As he had predicted, Merlin turned to look at him as he did so and he took the opportunity to steal a kiss.

He knew that it was ridiculously cheesy but he didn't particularly care as the minute his lips touched Merlin's, he completely forgot that they were in front of hundreds of people and, more importantly, journalists. All that mattered was him and Merlin. Rumours of awards ceremonies put aside, Arthur already felt as though he'd won a bloody Oscar.

**Author's Note:**

> If you would prefer to comment on LJ, you can do so [here](http://vix-spes.livejournal.com/103681.html)


End file.
